Kate Middleton topless photographs: Your reactions

Pictures of Kate Middleton topless published in French Closer have sparked outrage today and prompted massive debate about expectations of privacy, the tabloid press and the conduct of members of the British royal family.

designer84: "I'm quite saddened that French Closer feel the need to print these pictures. Yes Kate may be in the public eye a lot, much like a celebrity is but everyone deserves some private time...I think anyone, celeb, royal, joe public etc would be annoyed if their personal space had been invaded like that and then put online. I know I would be."

Sarah Long: "They should leave them be starting to feel like harassment just like princess diana got with all the paps around have they got nowt better to do?"

Crispian Jago (@Crispian_Jago): "If you have ever bought a facile celeb mag, you are not entitled to complain about Kate's invasion of privacy. You created the demand."

Lux Limo: "Why are they angry......Keep your breast covered up. I never heard the WORLD PRESS say we will never take picturs of the Royal Family on Holiday ....did anyone else????"

urban.spaceman: "This situation is getting worse. I'm sick of the press crossing the line time and time again and getting away with it. If they're not telling outright lies, they're hacking people's phones and emails, chasing them through the streets, or paying normal people ludicrous amounts of money to do it too. It's simply not on anymore. They went too far 15 years ago, how soon until they do it again? What a disgusting aspect of our society."

Lee Richardson (@frisbeelee): "Closer Magazine showing what a sad world we live in, and yet people keep driving the gossip industry. Sad. @closerfr."

Marco Lewis: "Closer (France) should be ashamed of themselves for printing these pictures. It is disgusting that Kate cannot go on a private holiday without being photographed like this. These photographs are not news worthy at all. Nobody needs to see Kate topless and no magazine or publication should be able to print these pictures."

subkulture: "So French photographers are unashamedly out to get the wife of the heir to the British throne....where have we seen this before?"

Christopher Meyer (@SirSocks): "Memo to Leveson. Statutory regulation in France with fines has failed Kate. Self-regulation in Britain has protected her privacy."

Chris Ellis (@ChrisEllyEllis): "French magazine @closerfr are disgrace for publishing the pics of the Duchess of Cambridge. You should be ashamed of yourselves! Disgusting."

whatever54: "I actually think Harry going to vegas and messing around with a load of girls he wasn't that familiar with did deserve the aftermath and was a slight story. I think Kate bathing topless on a private holiday with her husband is very different, why shouldn't she?"

Hit Em Up Style: "What saddens me more about this is that its the French media who are publishing them. After Princess Diana's death I expected them to know better. Its in very ill taste and it doesn't sit well with me at all."

@Fresh_Garbage: "Shame the amount French #Closer will end up paying will be significantly less than the revenue made from the pictures printed of Kate."

Jake O'Kane (JakeOKane): "Final thought on Kate pics. Children are being slaughtered across Syria today, just how important are Kate's breasts again? #medianonsense.

Darren Jones (@joner2011): "I can't stand the British media. The one time they decide to have morals had to be when there's pictures of Kate Middleton topless."

haphash: "Kate should have known better than to sunbathe topless. Unfortunately today with the sort of surveillance we have in society and long range lenses available there will always be some scummy journalist trying to make a quick buck. She probably thought they couldn't be seen but if you marry into the royal family topless sunbathing has got to be off the agenda."

bookaddict: "[I] am frankly astonished that people are trying to attach any blame at all to Kate in this instance. She was in a private villa with her husband, not on a public beach. She absolutely had the right to expect privacy."

Caxton: "This is just typical of sensationalist low-life journalism that newspapers and magazines feel they have to publish to get sales - these journalists and editors are just utterly pathetic. If they cannot survive without coverage of this type then let them go down."

Cyril_sneer: "Yes, she is in private, but is anywhere truly private nowadays? Will and Kate are well aware of that and it was a silly silly move for the future king and queen of England to be outside half naked. Should they be able to? Yes. But it's something maybe they should just for safetys sake decide not to do, out of respect for the royal family."

What are your thoughts on the publication of the Kate Middleton photos? Leave your comments below!

Photo gallery - A year of the Duchess of Cambridge:

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The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William announce their engagement in November 2010. Middleton wore a blue Issa dress which sold out following their announcement.
Copyright: PA Images
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